‘Legs’ is all about travel and work. But with most of us staying home and the economy unraveling, we here at E&M (remotely!) thought about some things we can all do from the (dis)comfort of our own four walls.
- Take some deep breaths. Go on, we’ll wait. Now, continue reading.
- Look through all the photos on your phone. All of them. Share your favourite ones with your friends.
- That one message that you have been meaning to respond to that’s been sitting in your inbox for a while, collecting dust and an increasingly guilty conscience? Respond to it.
- Alternatively: finally just delete all those unread emails.
- Sleep.
- Get out your pen and paper and write some letters. Your quarantined relatives will surely appreciate them – and your equally quarantined friends, too.
- Try out meditating. It’s good for your immune system!
- Eat a whole tub of ice cream.
- Check in with ‘essential workers’, parents of school-age children, and anyone else who might be struggling right now. Ask how you can help.
- Make use of the many workout apps and websites currently offering discounts or free trials.
- Go online shopping, with a twist! Check out which of your local businesses do delivery and support them without having to leave your place.
- Pick up the phone, put away all other distractions, sit down, and revel in the sound of someone else’s voice.
- On the topic of the human voice: try out (some new) podcasts.
- Vacuum underneath your bed.
- Offer to help more vulnerable people in your neighbourhood and get their groceries (but don’t have auntie Erna invite you in for a coffee).
- Give journalling a try.
- Read through E&M‘s old issues.
- Play games with whoever you’re living with. If you’re living alone, find some games to play with friends and family online.
- Do nothing.
- Clean your hard drive and free up some much needed space (this also works for your phone).
- Reach out to people you’ve lost contact with.
- How many push-ups can you do? Try to do at least one more by the end of this.
- Light some scented candles, take a shower or a bath, play some good old jams as loud as your neighbours allow you, and sing your heart out.
- Masturbate.
- Sort through your closet.
- Sort through your bookshelf.
- Sort through your random collection of documents, spare paper, and post-its.
- You can guess where we’re going with this: do some spring cleaning.
- Alternatively: Be incredibly messy, at least in your own room, knowing that no one can come visit and judge you.
- Learn a new language, but have a friend teach you instead of an app.
- Take a break from the news.
- Read poetry.
- Write poetry?
- Travel the world via Google Streetview and Yelp reviews.
- Figure out why everyone has been raving about Parasite.
- Since you’re already watching movies, go and check out all the other Oscar winners and nominees and snubs of the past years you never got around to see.
- Tell someone you love them. Yes, this can be your pet, or your house plant. No, this can’t wait.
But, most importantly: stay safe – stay home.
Cover photo: Brian McGowan (Unsplash), Unsplash licence
